U.S. President Donald Trump, during his speech at the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, announced his readiness to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. He noted that he is negotiating with both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky, expressing confidence that both sides seek to reach an agreement to end the war.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Donald Trump’s Position on the War
During his speech, Trump emphasized that Russia’s war against Ukraine is “horrible” and would not have started if he had won the presidential election in 2020. He highlighted his role in attempts to stop the armed confrontation, stating:
“I am negotiating with President (of Russia Vladimir) Putin, and I believe he wants to make a deal (to end the war against Ukraine – ed.). I am negotiating with President (of Ukraine Volodymyr) Zelensky, and I think he also wants to come to an agreement. I am meeting with him today. He may be in the hall right now,” said Donald Trump.
Trump also stressed the loss of a large number of people on both sides and the necessity to end the war to preserve lives and the security of Europe.
Reaction from the Office of the President of Ukraine
Ukrainian President’s advisor Dmytro Lytvyn informed journalists that Volodymyr Zelensky was in Kyiv at the time of Trump’s speech. The President of Ukraine did not announce any intention to visit Davos, and the day before, he explained that his trip to Switzerland would only be possible if agreements were reached regarding cooperation with the U.S. and other partners, particularly on air defense and energy issues.
Zelensky emphasized that he is ready to go to Davos if specific decisions are made regarding energy packages or strengthening air defense. For now, the president remains in Ukraine due to internal challenges. On January 21, he held an energy meeting, and there was no opportunity to quickly reach Davos due to the ban on civilian aviation flights and a lack of time to travel to the nearest airport.
The Ukrainian delegation at the forum is headed by the head of the President’s Office, Kyrylo Budanov. Meanwhile, according to the American publication Axios, citing an anonymous Ukrainian official, Zelensky may visit Davos on Thursday to meet with Trump, but there is currently no official confirmation of this information.